HR & THE AGILE ORGANIZATIONFrom Cop to Cruise Director

Meet your GuideArlen Bankston

Entrepreneur, Co-Founder of LitheSpeedUser experience, product design & development background18 years of Agile experienceLean Six Sigma Master Black BeltTrainer and agile consultant, coach, presenter and writer

AgendaA gentle introduction to the next generation of human resources.

Why Agile HR?

Hiring & Onboarding

Talent Development

Culture

3

Using Agile Methods in HR Teams

Why Agile HR?

4

A Very Brief History of Human ResourcesFrom cost center to strategic partner.

Keeping the troops in line

Task allocation and compliance

Hiring, training and firing

Human ResourcesModeration and retention

Driving customer-oriented innovation and the people that deliver it

Scientific Management

27 BC 1911 1970 1990

Talent & ExperiencePersonnel AdministrationRoman Army

2018

1. Only 13% of all employees are “highly engaged.” 26% are “actively disengaged.”1

2. Only 54% of employees recommend their company.2

3. In hi-tech, two-thirds of all workers believe they could find a better job in less than 60 days.3

4. 80% believe their employees are overwhelmed with information and activity at work.4

5. More than 70% of Millennials expect their employers to focus on societal or mission-driven problems.5

Gallup 2014, Glassdoor, Dice, Tech Salary Survey, Deloitte Human Capital Trends 2014, Deloitte, The Millennial Survey 2014http://www.forbes.com/sites/joshbersin/2014/04/04/the-five-elements-of-a-simply-irresistible-organization/

The Bad News

Would leave tomorrow or actively looking, because of...

Old-Fashioned Management Styles

Working Environment

Feeling Disengaged

Uninspiring Work

Depression & Disillusionment

85%

79%

75%

70%

50%

Troubling ScenariosIt’s harder to find, engage and keep good people than ever before.

Demand for top development talent in your area has spiked.

What does your company offer to young professionals that the competition does

not?

Retention is dropping, and a lack of individual engagement is the culprit. How does your

organization generate a sense of purpose for

employees?

A dramatic uptick in local traffic has necessitated

flexible work arrangements. How will you accommodate

and align remote and local workers?

Out of 67 ScrumMasters at your company, 62 of them

sort of suck. How can we hire and upskill people more

effectively?

WHAT TO DO?

HR can supply what agile organizations need.Great people that stay

Talent development that inspires

Workspaces fit for humans

Personalized training & coaching

Agile methods can lend HR better ways to work.Rapid adaptability

Poly-skilled practitioners

Tight feedback loops

The Legendary CHROPeople are pickier and problems are trickier than ever. Someone needs to step up...

CIOCFOCHRO

CEO

COO

A Manifesto for HR AgilityHow can we make people happier and more effective without knowing where they’re headed?

Growing the organization

Unique people

Proactive feedback

Raising the best

Defaulting to openness

Workplace flexibility

Stable crossfunctional teams

Enforcing its boundaries

Generic functions & silos

Counteractive assessment

Controlling the worst

Hewing to confidentiality

Rigidity

Heroes & interchangeable resources

over

1212

Make it an adventureto attract and keep the best

Live with the nativesto understand the real needs

Create holistic high performerswith dynamic talent development

Build connectionsto facilitate lateral growth

Lead strategicallythrough data and experimentation

Craft a living environmentto create autonomy & engagement

Agile HR Tips

Hiring & OnboardingMake it an adventure

13

What’s Wrong with Hiring?Getting the right people is critical if you really want great agile teams.

Misunderstanding of agile roles leads to wrong sort of people

Price sensitivity overrides a demand for excellence

New roles scare people because the career ladder is unclear

Your competition keeps luring away the best candidates

Candidates seem good on paper and suck on arrival

“In procedural work, the best are 2x better than the average. In creative/inventive work, the best are 10x.” Netflix Culture Deck

Play a fighting game against other candidates… where you have to code the moves.

Hiring Games

Crack a code to entice the British intelligence and security agency. CanYouCrackIt.co.uk

Qualities of GGrreeaatt AAggiillee TTeeaamm MMeemmbbeerrss

When hiring, look for:Comfort with diverse viewpoints

Flexibility in approach

Love for learning

Ability to collaborate

Self discipline

Willingness to adapt to regular feedback on one’s product, process and behavior

Qualities of GGrreeaatt AAggiillee LLeeaaddeerrssFind or grow Agile Leaders who:

Learn continuously and adapt creatively

Focus on developing people over enforcement

Specify goals without over-specifying solutions

Create flow across value streams

Collaborate with peers around the organization

Base decisions on objective data over opinions

An agile leader builds flexible but resilient systems, where teams can act independently with confidence and individuals can exercise creativity and grow to their maximum potential.

A Culture of TTrruusstt A word from The Fool Rules Interactive Employee Handbook.

Radical Transparency

BufferHere you know how much money you (and your colleagues!) make,

and how to earn more. In fact, you can figure it out online

before you even join...

Interactive Hiring

Show and tell.

Speak for 5 minutes about yourself

Speak for 15 minutes about 2-3 projects of which you’re proud

Prepare a 15-minute presentation on a case study or coding exercise

Participate in a 25-minute Q & A

Hiring Time

% HighestRated Hires

CandidateExperience

Onboarding with Style

The mythic game company heavily values self-direction

and creativity. Their employee handbook reflects the fun,

open but demanding culture that they embrace.

Talent DevelopmentLive with the nativesCreate holistic high performersBuild connections

22

What’s Wrong with Talent Development?Flexibility and collaboration are musts for today’s challenges.

HR doesn’t understand individuals and their unique challenges

Individual meritocracy is rewarded over teamwork and smothers it

Feedback cycles are depressing and ineffective instead of helpful

People are pigeonholed into roles that don’t utilize their full potential

Misguided measurement systems drive bad behavior

“A business leader’s job is to create great teams that do amazing work on time. That’s it.” Patty McCord, ex Chief Talent Officer at Netflix

Live with the NativesGo to the Gemba and see what’s really happening.

Talent & Experience group within Agile Transformation department.

7,000 employees

Decentralized and local support

Act like Product Owners who define outcomes to improve employee experiences.

“What experience does the employee need to deliver this particular product?”

https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2018/04/06/transforming-hr-as-agile-business-partner-the-case-of-vistaprint/#4bdeed6ed6d1

“The old methods of command-and-control and organizational hierarchy are now replaced by networks of individuals

organized around common goals and outcomes. People don’t all want the same development opportunities,

rewards and physical space.”

Motivate or Don’t Demotivate?

Fredrick Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory: Eliminating dissatisfying factors and providing satisfying ones must both be done in concert.

Provide purpose while relentlessly simplifying bureaucracy.

Factors for Satisfaction Factors for Dissatisfaction

AchievementRecognitionThe work itselfResponsibilityAdvancementGrowth

Company policiesSupervisionRelationship with supervisor and peersWork conditionsSalaryStatusSecurity

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/herzberg-motivators-hygiene-factors.htm

Create Holistic High Performers

Decentralize decisions for freedom

Raise team capability through talent development

Promote continuous improvement of both self and product

Let people try new things and support them properly.

ConvinceSUPPORTING

Get out the wayDELEGATING

Won’t do – removeDIRECTING

Teach to doCOACHING

- WILLINGNESS LEVEL +-

ABILI

TY LE

VEL

+

Ladders... or Snakes & Ladders?

This ancient Indian board game had many potential paths to

enlightenment, with snakes acting as vices and ladders as virtues.

What values might your company espouse that let

people choose their own path?

Career ladders are too static for today’s dynamic knowledge workers.

Want Awesome TeamsFaster

HappierShared goalsMore focused

Quicker to formGreater ownership

Better communication

1

SSeellff--SSeelleeccttiinngg TTeeaammssLike a full-time hackathon.

PrepareReadiness check

Trial runDefine team missions

Logistics & communicationRules & materials

2Run

Product Owner Chats Checkpoint

Resolve ImpedimentsLaunch teams!

3

https://www.agilealliance.org/resources/experience-reports/creating-how-self-selection-lets-people-excel/

Build Connections

Paolo notes that he’s good at ping pong and beer brewing.

Paolo, Annabelle and Tyrell agree to meet over home-

brewed beer and talk security shop once a month.

You can also try a Skills Marketplace and simply invite

some other teams.

Annabelle and Tyrell had never met, but both love beer and

happen to be crack security engineers.

Communities of Practice and Interest are classic solutions to

this problem.

While Paolo appreciates the new skills he’s learned from his colleagues, he’d also love to deepen his existing skill set as a security specialist and talk to peers more often.

The Career Path for ScrumMastersWhat should ScrumMasters do in the long term?

and let them pull help when they need it.

TO MULTIPLE TEAMSEXPAND

and start solving bigger problems.

INTO AN ENTERPRISE COACHEVOLVE

and work alongside them to deliver.

YOURSELF IN THE TEAM

IMMERSEand start a cohort of

master coaches.

OTHER SCRUMMASTERSMENTOR

CultureLead strategicallyCraft a living environment

31

The Problem(s) with CultureEnvironments and attitudes say more than words.

HR policies create a stifling environment

Roles are too narrowly defined to facilitate effective collaboration

Agile departments are held back by those unaware it affects them

Management support for agility is limited and unfocused

Work spaces don’t fit natural work patterns

“Through initiatives like working from home, unlimited leave, integrated technology, and wellbeing in the workplace – we treat our employees like the capable adults they are.“Richard Branson (Virgin)

Holland

The Buurtzorg ScenarioNurses and clients manage themselves.

“A new [12 nurse] team will find its own office in the neighbourhood, spend time introducing themselves to the local community and getting to know GPs and therapists and other professionals. The team decides how they organise the work, share responsibilities and make decisions, and through word of mouth and referrals the team builds up a caseload.”

buurtzorg.comStaff Satisfaction

Cheaper than traditional Dutch healthcare

4 employees2018

8.7

40%

10,000+ employees2007

1 team2018

1,000+ teams2007

HOW COULD YOUR TEAM & COMPANY BE MORE LIKE THIS?

Lead Strategically to Drive Self ManagementTEAL

Evolutionary Agile Organization

GREENCulture Driven Organization

ORANGEMost Large Corporations

AMBERGovernment, Churches

REDGang, Mafia, Mercenaries

T ORecruiting, Evaluation & CompensationSet with peers

DecisionsDynamic local processes

StructureSelf organized & empowered teams

RecruitingCompensation set via HR policy

Evaluation & compensationManager

DecisionsHierarchy & bureaucracy

StructureFormal hierarchies

F R O M

Culture ValuesValues are what we Value

High performanceFreedom & Responsibility

Context, not ControlHighly Aligned, Loosely Coupled

Pay Top of MarketPromotions and Development

Choose positivity & happinessDefault to transparencyHave a focus on self improvementBe a “no ego” doerListen first, then listen moreHave a bias towards clarityMake time to reflectLive smarter, not harderShow gratitudeDo the right thing

Decisions, Conflict & FeedbackDecisionsMake any decision after seeking (but not necessarily following) advice from those affected.

ConflictWe are not your parents, work it out or ask for help.

FeedbackSeek and give both immediate and considered feedback. Quarterly company events, informal individual and team meetings, mentors, surveys and micro-recognitions are common structural elements.

“Candor isn’t cruel. It does not destroy. On the contrary, any successful feedback system is built on empathy, on the idea that we are all in this together, that we understand your pain because we’ve experienced it ourselves… The Braintrust is fueled by the idea that every note we give is in service of a common goal: supporting and helping each other as we try to make better movies.”Ed Catmull

Micro Recognition

Instant feedback Reviewed in a team format at least quarterly.

Send email to recognized

Feel appreciative 1

2

3

38

OOppeenn SScchheedduullee and Slack Time

SlackEncourage people to take slack time, recharge and maintain active innovation platforms.

Open Work ScheduleNo set policy; people simply take the time they need to do their jobs properly, informing their tribe in the event of unexpected absences.

Using Agile Methodsin HR Teams

39

Understand Value

Think Big, Build Small

Focus on Feedback

Work Together

Keep Work Visible

Can yield some varied and interesting results…

5

4

3

2

1

A few simple agile values… Design thinking

Customer journeys

Devops

Kanban

Scrum

Digital transformation

Specification by example

and lots of related practices…

41

before after

Iterative HR

HR plans took quarters to deliver with little feedback

Everyone hated fixed roles and complex hierarchy

Performance review plans irritated top performers

HR goes agile.

Paper test ideas in Excel

Work in 1-2 week cycles

Use Design Thinking with employees

5th iteration of Performance Management process

RetrospectCompare intent and reality.

Legacy structures can hamper agility.

Most organizations add more than remove.

Eliminate meetings, artifacts, processes & governance structures as they are replaced.

Make improvement experiments a kata. GET THE OLD ORGANIZATION OUT OF THE

WAY OF THE NEW ONE.

current improvement experiment

42

next improvement experiment

time for a new improvement!

4343

https://leanpub.com/hrandtheagileorganization

https://www.cio.com/article/3256005/leadership-management/why-your-company-needs-a-chro.html

https://hbr.org/2017/05/why-more-executives-should-consider-becoming-a-chro

https://www.justleadingsolutions.com/talentsumerization/

https://www.ft.com/content/a231ad90-072f-11e8-9650-9c0ad2d7c5b5

http://nomad8.com/team-self-selection-kit/

https://www.slideshare.net/BarbaraGill3/netflix-culture-deck

https://techcrunch.com/2013/01/31/read-what-facebooks-sandberg-calls-maybe-the-most-important-document-ever-to-come-out-of-the-valley/

https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/blog/future-of-recruiting/2017/8-innovative-ways-companies-are-using-virtual-reality-to-recruit

https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/blog/recruiting-strategy/2015/5-companies-that-are-successfully-using-gamification-for-recruiting

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/21/former-netflix-hr-exec-the-one-question-that-determines-if-you-get-hired.html

https://buffer.com/salary/onboarding-and-education-specialist/average

https://theundercoverrecruiter.com/buffer-company-culture/

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/next-step-evolution-processpeople-operations-amanda-bellwood/

https://www.nasdaq.com/article/6-inspiring-employee-handbook-examples-cm459464

https://www.infoq.com/articles/employee-experience-agile-enterprises

References & Resources

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CONTACT USAnd thank you for your time.

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